Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
Not Applicable.
This invention relates generally to a multimedia delivery system, and more particularly to an interactive multimedia delivery system capable of (1) simultaneously providing multiple streams of multimedia content to users of the system, (2) allowing users to interact with the system, (3) providing information concerning users to a centralized computer for processing, (4) providing the user with the ability to perform financial transactions, and (5) providing a printed receipt or redemption coupon.
The ability of advertisers to effectively target specific audiences and obtain direct consumer feedback regarding the effectiveness of their advertising has never been totally satisfied. Traditional advertising has not (1) provided the intended audience with the ability to control the content of the advertising, (2) taken the form of high-quality multimedia presentations, (3) provided the audience with the ability to interact with the advertisement, and (4) provided the advertiser with direct information concerning the advertisers"" audiences. Static billboard advertising provides none of these features. Although conventional television advertising allows the user to change channels and, therefore, provides the user with some ability to control the advertising content, such broadcasts do not provide a means for the audience to interact with the advertisement and do not directly provide advertisers with feedback concerning their advertisements. Although Internet advertising provides the audience with the ability to interact with an advertisement and can provide advertisers with feedback, such advertising cannot be in the form of high quality multimedia presentations.
These three forms of advertising also provide the advertiser with very limited control over targeting the audience that receives the advertisement. The ability for the advertiser to effectively target the advertisers"" core audience would allow the advertiser to more effectively influence its audience.
Current methods of providing these benefits require advertisers to use expensive and elaborate two-way cable systems. Using cable systems, advertisers can broadcast advertisements and other promotional material to large diversified audiences. There are several disadvantages with such a system. First, these cable systems provide consumers with only limited ability to interact with the system and, correspondingly, provide advertisers with only limited data gathering capabilities concerning their audiences. Second, these systems provide the audience and the advertiser with only limited ability to dynamically schedule the content to be presented through the system. Third, because advertisers broadcast material to large diversified audiences, they are constrained to produce content that is suitable to present to such diverse audiences. Fourth, these cable systems do not provide advertisers with quick and accurate means to measure the effectiveness and appeal of their advertisements. Fifth, advertisers are limited in the types of additional promotional material that they can provide to interested potential consumers.
Various inventions disclosed in the prior art describe delivery systems but do not relate to advertising and do not disclose the improvements of the current invention. Such inventions generally relate to the field of jukeboxes. For example, the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,781,889, issued to Martin et al. for a Computer Jukebox and Jukebox Network, discloses a system including one or more computer jukeboxes that can be managed from a remote location. Unlike the present invention, the invention disclosed in Martin (1) does not provide for the simultaneous transmission of multiple streams of content, (2) does not store the multimedia content locally but rather depends on the host computer where the content is stored, (3) relates to audio transmission rather than a multimedia delivery system and, therefore, does not include the features of the present invention related to non-audio multimedia transfers and presentations such as the ability to simultaneous transfer multiple video content streams, (4) does not utilize a touch-screen interface, (5) does not provide a means for transferring user information to a centralized data base management system for processing, and (6) does not provide a means for providing feedback to advertisers.
The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,481,509, issued to Knowles et al. for a Jukebox Entertainment System Including Removable Hard Drives, discloses a jukebox containing a plurality of hard disc drives, each containing digital audio/video data. Unlike the present invention, the Knowles system does not allow for the simultaneous delivery of a plurality of discrete content packages to users of the system. In addition, the Knowles system (1) discloses the exchange of removable hard disc drives to update the content rather than transferring the updated information using an optical disc drive or satellite link, (2) does not store the multimedia content locally but rather depends on a host computer where the content is stored, (3) does not include the ability to control external devices through infrared signals, (4) does not provide a means for transferring user information to a centralized data base management system for processing, and (5) does not provide a means for providing feedback to advertisers.
The invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,341,350, issued to Frank et al. for a Coin Operated Jukebox Device Using Data Communication Network, discloses a coin-operated music playing jukebox, including, a payment unit, a display, an input keyboard, and at least one speaker. By way of a telecommunication line, the jukebox is connected with a central music store, which transmits audio information to the jukebox. Unlike the present invention, the Frank invention (1) involves only one simultaneous stream of content, (2), is connected to a central music store through a remote data transmission line, and (3) requires an Ethernet adapter to transfer the information through the system.
Accordingly, there is therefore a need for an inexpensive system, capable of presenting high quality dynamically scheduled multimedia promotional material specifically suited to a targeted audience, wherein such a system provides direct consumer feedback to the advertiser. In addition, there is a need for a system that can provide additional promotional materials, such as purchasing incentives, to the system""s audience.
This invention discloses a computerized interactive multimedia delivery system capable of simultaneously delivering a plurality of discrete streams of multimedia content. The system allows the user of the system to interact with the system. The system is capable of providing information concerning the user of the system to a centralized computer for processing. The disclosed multimedia delivery system may be used for various purposes including entertainment, advertisement and promotion, information exchange, or any other use desired by the operator of the system.
The disclosed system includes a computer. The computer contains one or more hard disk drives, to store the multimedia content to be presented to the user of the system, and the necessary computer programs and associated files used to operate the system.
The system also includes external equipment, which can either be provided to the operator along with the computer system or can be pre-existing equipment that can be adapted to present the multimedia content from the system. The external equipment can be controlled and managed by the system computer, using an infrared sensor located on each piece of external equipment. Such external equipment can include electronic display equipment, such as video or television monitors, an aesthetic lighting display, audio amplifiers, speakers, and any other equipment capable receiving control instructions and multimedia content. The content can be transferred to the external equipment through a video/audio cable or an R/F cable carrying an R/F modulated composite audio and video signal.
The content is transferred from the computer to the external equipment through a series of converters. These converters first decode the multimedia content, if necessary, and then convert the decoded multimedia content from digital to analog format. The converters transmit the discrete left, right, and video signals to either the final display devices or transmit these signals to RF modulators, which combine the three signals into a single RF modulated signal suitable for reception by conventional television tuners. The converters, combined with the RF modulators, provide the capability of simultaneously providing multiple content streams on a single RF cable.
The system can also include a printer that may be used to deliver to the user physical output from the system. Such physical output can include promotional materials that can be used to further enhance the marketing of an advertiser""s product or services. The printed physical output may be predefined or may be dynamically generated according to the user""s request and may have a watermark or bar code for identification and verification purposes.
The user of the multimedia delivery system can interact with the system via a touchscreen user interface. The touch sensitive video interface graphically and textually defines specific areas of the display. Additional user input can be provided by a virtual keyboard, which graphically and functionally simulates a conventional computer keyboard on a touch sensitive display.
The system also allows the user to purchase products directly through the system. The system may include a card reader, capable of secure credit or debit card transactions. The system may also include a currency validator to allow the user to make cash transactions, thereby enhancing the systems point-of-view purchasing capabilities. Such point-of-view purchasing capabilities allows the system to offer an advertiser even greater ability to interact with the user, as the advertiser can offer incentives tailored to impulse purchases or gather consumer information.
Multimedia content is transferred through the system to the user in the form of content packages consisting of any combination of audio, video, text, and still or animated graphics. Each content package contains the information required to process and display the multimedia content, including the required file names, the scheduling of the content to be displayed, the identity of the specific channel to be used to transfer the content, the content itself, any printed material associated with the content, and the associated information used to further describe the intended functioning of the content. The system processes the content packages in an order defined by a set schedule or in an order dynamically determined by a user. Each content package also contains action properties that describe the desired actions associated with the content.
The system can update the content packages contained on the storage devices using an optical disk drive, a satellite receiver, or a combination of both. The upgrade process can be performed either automatically or may be customized by the local system administrator. The upgrade process can consist of removing existing content packages contained on the storage devices and adding new content packages.
The system can contain a modem which can (1) provide information about users to a central database, (2) notify the system administrator of any problem with the system, and (3) facilitate financial transactions. In addition, an Ethernet card can be used to expand the user interface to additional areas of the local environment.
Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the following description of certain preferred embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, although variations and modifications may be effected without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure.